Children who are five years old by September 30th can start kindergarten in the fall, but first they need to be registered. Thursday, April 19 is the day for on-time registration for children in Dinwiddie County, Sussex County and Prince George County. Parents can register their child at the local elementary school in their attendance zone. To find the attendance zone in your area, visit www.SmartBeginningsRVA.orgor call “211.” Here are the times for each school district:

Prince George County:10a.m. – 2p.m.

Dinwiddie County:9a.m. – 7p.m.

Sussex County: 9a.m. – 12:00p.m. and 2:00p.m. – 7:00p.m.

Note: Surry County will have another kindergarten registration day on May 7, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are not part of the regional kindergarten campaign on April 19.

There is quite a bit of paperwork needed to register a child for kindergarten, and pulling everything together takes time. Parents and caregivers are still encouraged to attend registration even if they do not have all the documents because exceptions could apply. These are the documents needed for registration:

Child’s official, certified birth certificate or school age affidavit in accordance with state law

Two proofs of address

School Entrance Health Form (This can be turned in any time before the first day of school)

Photo ID for parent or legal guardian

While registration rates improved, more than 4,000 children were not registered on time in the spring last year — enough to fill about eight elementary schools.

“Our goal is to help more parents understand what it means for their child to be ready for kindergarten, and how they can help them at home,” said Rich Schultz, Executive Director of Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond.

In the Richmond region, 1 in 7 children enter kindergarten already behind in language and literacy skills. This preparation needs to begin long before a child reaches kindergarten. “Children start learning as soon as they are born. Every day, there are teachable moments that parents can use to prepare their child to be ready for school,” added Schultz.

Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond recommends these activities to help children build the skills and confidence they will need to be ready for kindergarten:

Read and look at books every day

Stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up time

Practice counting real objects — like cereal or crayons

Talk about their feelings and what kindergarten will be like

Meet and play with other children their age

Show respect and use good manners

Find and name letters of the alphabet everywhere you go

Visit and explore libraries, parks and museums

Use scissors to practice cutting and crayons to draw

There are advantages for parents, children and schools when children are registered on time on April 19:

Parents can get important information that they might otherwise miss;

Schools can adequately prepare for space, staff and materials; and

Teachers can prepare for the child in the classroom.

For more information about kindergarten registration and what to bring on April 19, parents can visit www.SmartBeginningsRVA.org or dial the phone number “2-1-1” and find information specific to their school division.2-1-1 connects to trained professionals who provide free information on available health and human services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.